The Spokane City Council voted on Nov. 10 to indefinitely defer consideration of a contract to purchase two long‑range acoustic devices (LRADs) for the Spokane Police Department after weeks of public concern and council questions about policy and technical controls.

Chief of Police (interim) Chris Hall said the department requested the deferral to do more research, work with the vendor and consult community members. “We want to make sure everything’s done correctly, make sure the tone is removed, make sure our community support this item,” Hall said, describing the device as an amplification tool intended to improve intelligibility of lawful orders beyond the reach of megaphones and PA systems.

Council debate centered on civil‑liberties concerns, the device’s technical capabilities, and public-safety uses outside protest contexts. Council member Dylan noted some state law restrictions on high‑pitch tones and asked whether the units could be configured to remove any banned features; police representatives said those capabilities would be disabled in compliance with state law.

Opponents of immediate approval raised worries the devices had been mischaracterized by proponents and urged community outreach before procurement. Supporters including Council member Beagle argued the devices are nonlethal amplification tools that can help officers communicate in emergencies and during wildfires and other evacuations.

After discussion, Council member Dylan moved to indefinitely defer the item on behalf of the chief; the motion was seconded and the council voted in favor. Staff said the deferral will allow work with the vendor on technical restrictions and community engagement and that the department does not intend to abandon the procurement but wants to align policy, training and community input before returning the item.

Next step: staff will continue vendor discussions, remove or disable features restricted under state law, and pursue community engagement before resubmitting the proposal for council consideration.